The Walking Dead Rescued Negan by Editing Controversial Scene: “I Chose Not to Imply That”

Please note that this article addresses topics of sexual violence.

Negan, the ruthless leader of the Saviors, stands out as the most memorable antagonist in The Walking Dead series—loved by fans for his unpredictable nature and hated for his actions. However, his notorious reputation might have been severely compromised had one particular scene gone according to initial plans. Negan evolves through a pseudo-redemptive arc, yet one specific moment could have hindered audience acceptance of any potential positive transformation.

Negan’s Intimidation of Carl Was Originally Planned to Be Even More Disturbing

Thankfully, The Walking Dead Has Boundaries It Refuses to Cross

Carl and Negan in The Walking Dead season 7 episode 16

In The Walking Dead Deluxe #105, created by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Dave McCaig, and Rus Wooton, Kirkman discusses the R-rated nature of the zombie comic Crossed. He remarks that compared to it, The Walking Dead is “extremely tame”and outlines the ethical boundaries he maintains in storytelling. Notably, he reflects on a moment that was ultimately cut from the narrative, involving implications of Negan’s intent to sexually assault Carl, Rick Grimes’ son.

In the storyline of The Walking Dead #105 (now presented in the Deluxe edition with enhanced colors by McCaig), Negan takes Carl hostage and unsettles him with disturbing interactions as he showcases the Saviors’ stronghold. While taunting Carl, Negan insists that he reveal his head injury and forces him into awkward moments, like singing “You Are My Sunshine.”Kirkman reveals that early drafts included a significantly darker intimidation tactic:

Thank heavens I thought better of this. In a lot of explorations of making Negan the most evil guy around, I guess originally, instead of swinging the bat to intimidate Carl during singing, he was going to… undress down to his boxers and say to Carl, “What do you want to do next?”

Negan’s Journey of Redemption is Integral to His Character

However, That Scene Would Have Severely Complicated His Redemption Arc

This moment has been completely scrubbed from my memory, but I vaguely recall this being a misdirect. You think he’s got something else on his mind, but really he’s just changing clothes for the IRON ceremony. Regardless, I’m thankful that I decided not to even imply Negan could have been a pedophile. Anyway, this moment was definitely better left… on the cutting room floor!

Walking Dead's Negan messing with Carl 2

Kirkman has consistently stated that Negan is his favorite character, largely due to the creative potential for dialogue the character presents. Although fans may speculate that this is the reason for Negan’s eventual alliance with Rick’s group post-defeat, it was artist Charlie Adlard who advocated for Negan’s continued presence in the storyline. Adlard posited that exploring the redemption of such a villain was more engaging than simply eliminating him.

If Negan had been portrayed engaging in sexual threats toward a child, his chance of redemption would have been drastically diminished. The series features many of Negan’s heinous acts—including the brutal murder of Glenn and maintaining a coerced group of ‘wives’—yet it wisely keeps his path to redemption open, even following the final issue’s twenty-year time leap. Depicting such overtly sexualized violence against Carl would have crossed an unacceptable line, affirming the decision to remove this particular scene was the right one for The Walking Dead.

The Walking Dead Deluxe #105 is currently available from Image Comics.

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